Poor man's Florida.

[IainH]

It's no secret, I hate winter. Mountain winter is cold, wet, snowy and icy. These are bad enough but, the one thing that truly makes them nasty is wind, it magnifies the typical conditions exponentially. It is ferocious and unceasing and anything that can be blown away, will if not lashed down tight.
  I have ten years to retirement, I am immersed in Spanish 40+ hours per week. One of my co-workers tells me that I could live like a king in Mexico for $500/month. Therefore I'm taking a course in basic Spanish then I'll have ten years of immersion to improve to the point where I can winter in Mexico, real Mexico not the ex-pat communities, and never see winter again. Hence, poor man's Florida.

[Ed Hurst]

As bad as we are told things are in Mexico with all the narco-wars, some say it's still no worse than here. Indeed, it's often better because their politics are far more simple and sane, and there is virtually none of the SJWs we face here. However, I believe the Mexican government requires you to have an income around $2000/month to move there. Who knows what it will be like ten years from now?

[IainH]

As bad as we are told things are in Mexico with all the narco-wars, some say it's still no worse than here. Indeed, it's often better because their politics are far more simple and sane, and there is virtually none of the SJWs we face here. However, I believe the Mexican government requires you to have an income around $2000/month to move there. Who knows what it will be like ten years from now?

  Income shouldn't be an obstacle and I'll be first to admit I got homework to do. There are many options and should the Lord bless me with robust health, I will get out of the freezer locker between December 26th and March.
  I go through this every winter and each year my desire to escape this foul crap only grows.
I'll listen to the advice of my co-workers and probably make several exploratory trips. One good thing about my employer, if you work when you're supposed to and if you work over that extra hour when asked 20 minutes before regular quittin' time, get along with people and don't piss and moan. They will let you take off a couple of weeks each year if you want. Some of the hunters do it every fall.
  Away from the large border cities, the crime rate is rather low and the techniques used to avoid being a victim are the same everywhere. Every small town in Mexico has a Don, an older prominent citizen who knows how to get things done, not a criminal but influential. Showing proper respect, explaining who you are and why you are there will go a long way. Village life in rural Mexico sounds nice from what my new friends tell me. Especially for an old gringo who wants to escape modernity.

[forrealone]

I can SO relate to the cold winters.  Spending six years in Iowa where blizzard conditions actually took us down to a negative 60 F sure did make me yearn for anywhere that was warmer.  With nothing but flat farmland as far as the eye could see, the wind had no obstacles. 

That is pretty cool that you are studying Spanish, one language that I did very well in once upon a time and that I would truly like to be able to speak fluently.

And, I don't blame you for considering a move to Mexico during the winter months.  I doubt if I will be around in ten years (I will turn 68 next month), but if I am, I hope the welcome mat is out......

[jaybreak]

I don't mind the cold, personally. I don't know where that came from...probably growing up in New England, where it's generally colder all year round. Not to mention the walking/cycling I do in the wintertime.

I'm half Italian an half German, two stocks that aren't generally known to live well in colder climes (I think).

Don't know much about Mexico, but I'm assuming in general it's like other Western countries: good in some parts, bad in others.

[Ed Hurst]

Most of what I know about living in Mexico come from Fred Reed, who lives in Guadalajara outside the expat communities. I grew up in Alaska and still run around Oklahoma in shorts until it gets below daytime highs in the 50s. That includes riding my bike. But I can empathize with a preference for moderate temperatures. I wouldn't mind living in Oregon or Washington state again, as I did for a few years, including some time in the military. It never got that hot or that cold, and it was a lot like Alaska otherwise.

[IainH]

Hurricane force icy wind that roars over the Blue Ridge and down the holler shakes the house for days on end grates on my nerves. Ice storms, snow storms and power outages, late Dec thru February. Then it gets cold and wet, snow and sleet, March. Wet and chilly in April. BUT, always that darn wind! Sure, we get a rare warm day in March, more in April but only by May can we say with confidence that it's behind us. Mid October into early November is when the wind arrives so, we get half a year of nice weather. Only twenty miles down the mountain there's typical Southern climate, mild winters and hot humid summer, it's amazing how much of a difference 1200 feet of elevation from Lenoir, NC up to our house can make.